Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/12/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hello General Peter, Thanks for your reply. I've been promoted Vice-admiral and expect to assume command on board U.S.S. Pinafore just after the turn of the year. If I go M8, I think it likely that the 35/2,8 Summaron will be my most-used lens of choice unless it turns out not to function well on the camera. My guess is that it will. Len's comments referred to the 35/3,5 Summaron, a lens well-known for lower contrast. Optikos Corporation, then in Cambridge Mass., now in Wakefield, ran optical bench tests of the 2,8 Summaron vs. the 8-glass and the pre-ASPH 35 Summicrons for an article I wrote for VIEWFINDER (Vol 37, No 4). On-axis the contrast of the Summaron was better than both Summicrons at all stops from f/2,8 through f/8; at 12mm off-axis (the near edge) Summaron contrast was better than the 8-glass at all those stops, better than the pre-ASPH at f/4 but somewhat inferior at the other stops. At 18mm off-axis (the far edge), the Summaron was inferior to both Summicrons at all stops. The Summaron's resolution was very close to that of both Summicrons on-axis and better than both at 12mm. Again its resolution fell off at 18mm. The fall-off in performance at 18mm is undoubtedly due to the field curvature that Leitz lens designers accepted as the price for enhanced correction of other optical aberrations, that resulted in the truly splendid performance of this lens (VIEWFINDER Editor Bill Rosauer's title: The 35mm f/2,8 SUMMARON: Legendary Lens?) The Summaron's performance at the (18mm) far edge doesn't matter at all on an M8 for if I understand correctly, on the M8 effectively 12mm becomes the far edge since the sensor isn't full frame. Coupled with the ability of the M8's sensor to capture in very low light, the Summaron's lack of speed/big aperture also doesn't matter. Perhaps this is why prices of Summarons have strengthened dramatically on eBay. Again, thanks. Seth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Klein" <pklein@threshinc.com> To: <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 2:17 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] M-lenses on M8 > Seth: > > Great to see you here. I can likewise vouch for the Rigid on the M8. I > have a DR, which as you know is the same lens. After some hemming and > hawing, I had DAG grind down the close-focus part of the cam so I could > use > it on the M8. No regrets--it has the same "it" quality on the M8 that it > did on film: Smooth transitions, very nice fine detail, and a little > bleed > of bright highlights into adjacent dark areas that gave a little "glow" to > the proceedings. > > On the M8, 50mm has a marked short telephoto quality, but I find myself > using it fairly often. Here are a few DR/M8 shots: > > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004685-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004642Crop-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004637-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004636-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004621JimGreenGesture-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004626Darkside-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004596StretchBW-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004603ChowShibaBW-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004593TheaterBW-w.jpg.html> > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004594PinknBlue-w.jpg.html> > > And as with film, you'll usually want to keep bright light sources out of > the frame :-) > <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/L1004610Crabby-w.jpg.html> > > I have a 90mm Elmarit, but on the M8 I've only shot test pictures of soup > cans and cereal boxes with it to test focus. They look about like what it > looked like on film--a bit dreamy at f/2.8, nice portrait quality at f/4, > and tack-sharp at f/8. > > From what I've heard, 90mm lenses are the most difficult to get right on > the M8. The M8's tighter tolerances are amplified by the relatively long > focal length. My 90mm Elmarit's focus is significantly off on the M8. For > outdoors, I have been using a CV 90/3.5 Lanthar that focuses perfectly. > On > the M8, a 90 is more like a 135mm is with film. It's great for distant > scenics, but for 4-15 feet away, you might find a 50 or a 75 more to your > liking. > > I have no experience with the 35/2.8 Summaron. > > I believe you are, like me, a 50mm kind of guy with film, so you may find > that you are a 35mm kind of guy with the M8. If that's the case, you > might > want to pick up a non-aspheric 35mm Summicron. That might very well become > your normal lens on the M8, if as Len says, the Summaron doesn't have > quite > enough contrast. > > Hope this helps. > --"Major General" Peter > > At 02:44 PM 12/8/2008 -0800, Leonard wrote: >>You will love the 50/2 rigid Summicron on the M8. While it is lower >>in contrast then the Summilux Asph for instance, I find it's very >>smooth and detailed. Photos taken with it are wonderful. There are a >>few on list that use it all the time. >> >>I can't speak of the 35/2.8 Summaron but I did test two very clean >>3.5 versions (LTM and M version with goggles) just yesterday. The M8 >>brutally shows their very low contrast. They can be made to look fair >>by using the auto levels feature in Photoshop but without >>manipulation I wouldn't use them. >> >>I have never used the other two lenses. >> >>Cheers, >>Len >> >> >>On Dec 8, 2008, at 3:03 PM, Seth Rosner wrote: >> >> > Hello friends, >> > >> > What a coincidentally useful time to return LUG-wise! I'm finally >> > considering an M8 or M8.2; would wish to use 35/2,8 Summaron, 50/2 >> > Rigid Summicron, 25/4 CV Skopar and 90,2,8 Elmarit (the 5-glass >> > 1958 rendition). Any comments/opinions on good or bad imaging with >> > any of these on an M8? Thanks. >> > >> > Best to all, >> > >> > Seth > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.15/1838 - Release Date: 12/8/2008 6:16 PM